System and method for providing content to a user based on a predicted route identified from audio or images

ABSTRACT

Embodiments are directed towards providing a system that presents content to a user of a vehicle based on where the vehicle is going. A microphone captures audio signals within the vehicle, which are analyzed for route information. These audible commands may be said by a person in the vehicle, such as a passenger telling the driver where to turn, or they may be received from a mobile computing device, such as a smartphone executing a map application that is providing audible directions. An anticipated route of the vehicle is determined based on the audible route information. Content is selected and presented to the user of the vehicle based on the anticipated route. Images of a display screen of the mobile computing device may also be analyzed to identify the route information.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to the dynamic, real-timeselection and presentation of content to a person in a vehicle based onwhere the vehicle is expected to be traveling.

BACKGROUND Description of the Related Art

Automobiles are becoming more and more user-friendly and interactive.Many new cars are now manufactured with a user interface, called a headunit, which a user can use to control various aspects of the automobileand access a variety of content or applications. For example, the usercan use the head unit to change radio stations, change the temperatureof the automobile cabin, access maps and global positioning systems,access the internet, access other head-unit applications, or access orcontrol other accessories of the automobile. Even though head unitsoffer multiple features to the user, the manufacturers of these devicesare constantly striving to incorporate new features into them.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Embodiments are directed towards providing a system that presentscontent to a user of a vehicle based on where the vehicle is going. Amicrophone captures audio signals within the vehicle, which are analyzedfor route information, e.g., “turn left at Main Street,” “take nextexit,” etc. These audible commands may be said by a person in thevehicle, such as a passenger telling the driver where to turn, or theymay be received from a mobile computing device, such as a smartphoneexecuting a map application that is providing audible directions. Ananticipated route of the vehicle is determined based on the audibleroute information. Content is selected and presented to the user of thevehicle based on the anticipated route. Images of a display screen ofthe mobile computing device may also be analyzed to identify the routeinformation.

In this way, the head unit can obtain route information without the userspecifically instructing the head unit to act (such as via a voicecommand). Moreover, this passive collection of data by the head unit canoccur without formally coordinating the communication of routeinformation from the mobile device to the head unit. Route informationthat is received or gathered without direct interaction with a user maybe referred to as indirect route information. Indirect route informationdiffers from conventional route information because there is no intenton the user's part to initiate some action via the head unit (or othercomputer) to present content related to navigation. As an example, auser may manifest this intent by announcing predetermined audio commandsor directing other input actions, like touch-screen interactions, to thehead unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments are described with referenceto the following drawings. In the drawings, like reference numeralsrefer to like parts throughout the various figures unless otherwisespecified.

For a better understanding, reference will be made to the followingDetailed Description, which is to be read in association with theaccompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a context diagram of a vehicle environment thatutilizes audio or video input within the vehicle to identify audible orvisual route information that is used to identify an anticipated routeto provide content to that user in accordance with embodiments describedherein;

FIG. 2A shows a use case example of a view of an interior of a vehiclein accordance with embodiments described herein;

FIG. 2B shows a use case example of a view of a mobile computing devicein accordance with embodiments described herein;

FIG. 3 illustrates a logical flow diagram generally showing oneembodiment of a process for monitoring audible route information toselect and provide content to a user in accordance with embodimentsdescribed herein;

FIG. 4 illustrates a logical flow diagram generally showing oneembodiment of a process for monitoring images of a display screen of amobile computing device to identify visual route information to selectand provide content to a user in accordance with embodiments describedherein;

FIG. 5 illustrates a logical flow diagram generally showing oneembodiment of a process for selecting a previous route based on acurrent route and an anticipated route to select and provide content toa user in accordance with embodiments described herein; and

FIG. 6 shows a system diagram that describes one implementation ofcomputing systems for implementing embodiments described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description, along with the accompanying drawings, setsforth certain specific details in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of various disclosed embodiments. However, one skilled inthe relevant art will recognize that the disclosed embodiments may bepracticed in various combinations, without one or more of these specificdetails, or with other methods, components, devices, materials, etc. Inother instances, well-known structures or components that are associatedwith the environment of the present disclosure, including but notlimited to the communication systems and networks and the automobileenvironment, have not been shown or described in order to avoidunnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiments. Additionally,the various embodiments may be methods, systems, media, or devices.Accordingly, the various embodiments may be entirely hardwareembodiments, entirely software embodiments, or embodiments combiningsoftware and hardware aspects.

Throughout the specification, claims, and drawings, the following termstake the meaning explicitly associated herein, unless the contextclearly dictates otherwise. The term “herein” refers to thespecification, claims, and drawings associated with the currentapplication. The phrases “in one embodiment,” “in another embodiment,”“in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” “in other embodiments,”and other variations thereof refer to one or more features, structures,functions, limitations, or characteristics of the present disclosure,and are not limited to the same or different embodiments unless thecontext clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, the term “or” is aninclusive “or” operator and is equivalent to the phrases “A or B, orboth” or “A or B or C, or any combination thereof,” and lists withadditional elements are similarly treated. The term “based on” is notexclusive and allows for being based on additional features, functions,aspects, or limitations not described, unless the context clearlydictates otherwise. In addition, throughout the specification, themeaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” include singular and plural references.

The term “user” is defined as a person or occupant that is in orotherwise being transported by a vehicle. The user may be the driver ora passenger of the vehicle. The term “vehicle” is defined as a deviceused to transport people or goods (or both), and examples includeautomobiles, buses, aircraft, boats, or trains. A “processor” is definedas a component with at least some circuitry or other hardware and thatcan execute instructions. The term “head unit” is defined as a componentwith at least some circuitry that is part of a vehicle and presentscontent to a user (as defined above). The term “present” is defined asto bring or introduce to the presence of a user through some sensoryinteraction. An “output interface” is defined as an interface includingat least some circuitry that is configured to present content to a user.A “microphone” is defined as an instrument configured to convert soundwaves into one or more corresponding electrical signals.

The term “content” is defined as information that can be presented to auser of the vehicle. Content may include visual content, audio content,tactile content, or some combination thereof. Visual content can includetext, graphics, symbols, video, or other information that is displayedto a user. Audio content can include songs, vocals, music, chimes, orother types of sounds. Tactile content can include vibrations, pulses,or other types of touch-based sensations provided via a hapticinterface. Generalized types of content can include advertisements,sports scores or information, logos, directions, restaurant menus,prices, hours of operation, coupons, descriptive information, emergencyinstructions, etc.

The term “route information” is defined as information related to atravel path (or route) or intended destination of a vehicle. The routeinformation may be a single driving command or instruction, such as aleft turn, or it may include a plurality of driving commands orinstructions, such as turn right on Jones Avenue then turn left atSunset Avenue and continue for 0.5 kilometers to arrive at yourdestination. The route information may include turning details,distances, a destination address, one or more mid-point addresses,street or road or highway identification information, or the like, orany combination thereof. Route information may be presented in audibleor visual form. Audible route information may be any audio signal thatcan be captured by a microphone and used to identify an anticipatedroute of the vehicle. Visual route information may be any textual,graphical, or visible information on a display screen of a device thatcan be captured in an image from a camera and used to identify ananticipated route of the vehicle.

FIG. 1 illustrates a context diagram of a vehicle environment thatutilizes audio or video input within the vehicle to identify audible orvisual route information that is used to identify an anticipated routeto provide content to that user in accordance with embodiments describedherein. System 100 includes a vehicle 102 that has a head unit 104 andone or more accessories 108 a-108 c. The vehicle 102 is virtually anymeans of transportation that includes a computing device and an outputinterface to provide content to a user of the vehicle 102. In theillustrative examples described herein, the computing device of thevehicle is the head unit 104, although other types of computing devicesmay be employed. Moreover, examples of vehicles include automobiles,aerial vehicles, water vessels, railroad vehicles, and other modes oftransportation.

The head unit 104 is a computing device that presents content and otherinformation to users of the vehicle and provides interactive controlsand other user interfaces to them. In various embodiments, the head unit104 utilizes one or more input/output interfaces for user interactions,which may be integrated into the head unit 104 (e.g., input/outputinterfaces 116) or external to the head unit 104 (e.g., otherinput/output interfaces 126). In some embodiments, the input/outputinterfaces 116 or a portion thereof may be part of or embedded withinthe head unit 104. In other embodiments, the other input/outputinterfaces 126 or a portion thereof may be separate from or independentof the head unit 104. In various embodiments, the head unit 104 mayutilize some combination of the input/output interfaces 116 and theinput/output interfaces 126. For example, the head unit 104 may includea built-in display device to output visual content and utilize aseparate speaker that is external to the head unit 104 to output audiocontent. Any input/output interfaces 116 and input/output interfaces 126may be collectively referred to as input/output interfaces 116, 126.

The input/output interfaces 116, 126 may be configured to receive inputfrom a user of the vehicle 102 or to output content to a user of thevehicle 102 (or both). The input/output interfaces 116, 126 may includeone or more output interfaces, which may include a visual interface,such as a display device; an audio output interface, such as a speaker;a haptic interface, such as a tactile output device; or a combinationthereof. Therefore, the input/output interfaces 116, 126 may include oneor more output interfaces configured to output visual content, audiocontent, tactile content, or some combination thereof. The input/outputinterfaces 116, 126 may also include one or more input interfaces, whichmay include physical or soft buttons, a touchscreen, a microphone, orother input interfaces. Therefore, the input/output interfaces 116, 126may include one or more input interfaces configured to receive visual,audio, or physical input commands, or some combination thereof.Embodiments described herein may include the head unit 104 receivinginput or providing output through an internal or integrated input/outputinterface 116 or other external input/output interfaces 126, or somecombination thereof.

For ease of illustration, the vehicle 102 is also illustrated as havingone or more cameras 110 and one or more microphones 112. As an example,the camera 110 is configured to capture images of an interior of thevehicle 102. In one arrangement, the camera 110 can be strategicallypositioned to focus on an area of the interior where a user may positionor has previously positioned a mobile device 114. For example, a camera110 may be part of or attached to a rearview mirror (not shown) or adashboard (not shown) of the vehicle 102. If a user holds a mobiledevice 114 in a natural viewing position or places it in a cupholder orsome other supporting space, the mobile device 114 may be within thefield of vision of the camera 110. As such, images from the camera 110may capture content being displayed by the mobile device 114, and theycan be analyzed to determine if the mobile device 114 is displayingvisual route information, such as a route highlighted on a map or aroute defined by graphical or textual information. (Additionalinformation on this process will be presented below.) In one embodiment,the position or focus of the camera 110 may be adjustable, whethermanually or automatically (or both), One or more machine-learning (“ML”)models may assist in determining the accuracy of the positioning orfocus setting of the camera 110 in relation to detecting the contentdisplayed by the mobile device 114, and adjustments can be automaticallyperformed on either parameter (or both). As an alternative, a heuristicapproach may be employed to adjust the camera 110.

The microphone 112 is configured to capture audio signals within thevehicle 102. As an example, the microphone 112 can be built into partsof the vehicle 102 likely to be within audible range of audio generatedfrom interactions between the mobile device 114 and the user orconversations between the user and another person in or near thevehicle. As will be described in more detail below, the audio signalsfrom the mobile device 114 can be analyzed to determine if a user in thevehicle is giving or receiving audible route information or othercontent, either in relation to the user's interaction with mobile device114 or a person. In either the case of the camera 110 or the microphone112, a mobile device 114 is not the only device capable of serving as asource of the collected data, as any machine with which the user mayinteract can do so.

Although the camera 110 and microphone 112 are illustrated as beingseparate from the head unit 104 and the other input/output interfaces126, embodiments are not so limited. Rather, in some embodiments, one orboth of the camera 110 or the microphone 112 may be integrated into theinput/output interfaces 116 on the head unit 104 or into the otherinput/output interfaces 126. Moreover, although the vehicle 102 is shownas having both the camera 110 and the microphone 112, embodiments arenot so limited. In some embodiments, the vehicle 102 may include thecamera 110 but not microphone 112, although in other embodiments, thevehicle 102 may include the microphone 112 but not camera 110.

As an illustrative example, assume there are a driver and one otherpassenger in the vehicle 102. As the driver is driving the vehicle 102down a road, the passenger may start to give the driver verbalinstructions on which way to drive and where to turn. These verbalinstructions may be referred to as audible route information. In thisinstance, the driver has not input a destination into the head unit 104,so the head unit 104 has not generated a travel route for the vehicle102 and thus cannot present content associated with the route to thedriver or passenger. But it may be beneficial for the head unit 104 toprovide content related to the audible route information, such as aroute to the destination or alternate routes, traffic information,driving reminders, advertisements for stores or restaurants along theroute, etc.

Accordingly, the microphone 112 captures the audio signals of the verbalinstructions said by the passenger and provides them to the head unit104. The head unit 104 relies on various speech-recognition techniquesto convert the captured audio signals into textual form.Natural-language-processing algorithms can then process the text toidentify the intent and recognize the context of the audible routeinformation. From this procedure, the head unit 104 can then retrievedata related to the audible route information, such as an anticipatedroute or destination of the vehicle 102, and present this content to thedriver.

In this example, head unit 104 may be programmed with thespeech-recognition and natural-language-processing algorithms, althoughsome other computer that is part of the vehicle 102 may be responsiblefor such processing or share the task with the head unit 104 (or someother computer). In addition, the speech recognition or natural-languageprocessing (or both) may be performed by one or more computers, like theremote servers 124, that are part of a cloud-based center capable ofexchanging communications with the vehicle 102.

In addition to the anticipated route, the head unit 104 can presentother content to the driver or passenger of the vehicle 102. Suchcontent can be audible content, visual content, tactile feedback, or acombination thereof and can be presented via one or more input/outputinterfaces 116, 126. For example, the head unit 104 can provide avibration or audible tone to remind the driver to make a turn asinstructed by the passenger. As another example, the head unit 104 canprovide an advertisement for gas that is next to the exit where thepassenger instructed the driver to leave the current freeway. In yetanother example, the head unit 104 can access a database or third-partyserver, such as remote server 124, to determine if there is heavytraffic on the anticipated route and if so, select an alternate route toprovide to the driver, such as via a graphical map displayed on the headunit 104.

In some other embodiments, the received verbal instructions may beutilized by the head unit 104 to alter a current route or anticipatedroute. If the user selects a route to a destination or if the head unit104 identifies an anticipated route based on verbal instructions from apassenger, then the passenger can alter the route by recognizing andannouncing additional verbal route information. For example, assumingthe head unit 104 is displaying a route via Interstate 5, and the drivertells a passenger, “I think I am going to take Highway 18 instead.”Alternatively, the passenger may say, “You should take Highway 18because it is generally faster.” The system can process the new audibleroute information, and the head unit 104 can present an updated routevia Highway 18.

Although the examples above describe the head unit 104 as receivingverbal instructions from a passenger of the vehicle, the head unit 104can also receive other types of audible route information. For example,the driver may have input a destination into a map application executingon mobile device 114, which produced a route from the vehicle's 102current location to the destination. The map application may output, viaan electronic speaker on the mobile device 114 or a speaker of thevehicle, audible instructions for the driver to follow the routeproduced by the map application. Again, the system can capture theaudible signals produced by the electronic speaker and process them toenable the head unit 104 to present appropriate content to the driver orpassenger of the vehicle 102.

In addition to the audible information, the map application executing onthe mobile device 114 may display the route on a display screen of themobile device 114. For example, the driver may have the mobile device114 affixed to or supported by a holder that positions the mobile device114 to be viewable by the driver. In this example, the camera 110 may bepositioned within the vehicle 102 to capture images of the displayscreen of the mobile device 114.

The images can be analyzed to identify any route information beingdisplayed. Such route information may include a highlighted route on amap, textual instructions (e.g., “turn left at Sunset Avenue”), textdisplayed on the map, graphical instructions (e.g., a left turn arrow),graphics (including icons or other symbols) displayed on the map,mileage information, or other information that can identify where thevehicle is traveling and the proposed route of travel, or somecombination thereof. The system can rely on image-recognition algorithmsto make predictions about the analyzed data, and similar to using theaudible instructions, the head unit 104 can retrieve and present contentcorresponding to the identified visual objects, such as an anticipatedroute or destination of the vehicle 102. In addition to the anticipatedroute, the head unit 104 can present other content to the driver orpassenger of the vehicle 102.

The head unit 104, another computer that is part of the vehicle 102, orthe remote servers 124 (or any combination of these computers) mayprocess the images from the camera 110. Moreover, data from othersystems may supplement the predictions generated from the analysis ofthe images. For example, the audible route information, whether receivedfrom the mobile device 114 or an occupant of the vehicle 102, can beused to adjust the confidence factors of the identified objects(including text) or class labels, leading to certain candidates beingdropped from consideration because they conflict with the supplementalaudio data.

Similarly, current and historical positional coordinates from the GPSsystem of the vehicle 102 can be used to filter out certain items thatmay have been identified as possible candidates in the analyzed images.For example, if the system is aware of the current location of thevehicle 102 and outputs a class label or textual data that isinconsistent with the geography of that location, the system can ignorethis output. As a more specific example, if the vehicle 102 is travelingin Texas and one of the outputs of the system predicts that textrecognized from the map application of the mobile device 114 reads as“Lake Michigan,” the system can correspondingly lower the correspondingconfidence factor and ignore the prediction.

In various embodiments, the head unit 104 may be configured tocommunicate with other computing devices, such as mobile device 114 orremote server 124. For example, the head unit 104 may communicate withremote server 124 via communication network 122 to provide audio orimage data to the remote server 124 for processing, as described herein,or to request content or other information, such as in response to theidentification of a future route of the vehicle 102. Accordingly, insome embodiments, the remote server 124 may provide some of thefunctionality described herein. In various embodiments, the content maybe provided to the mobile device 114 for presentation to a user of themobile device. In at least one embodiment, the mobile device 114 may actas an intermediate device between the head unit 104 and the remoteserver 124, although the head unit 104 (or other computer) may beequipped with a long-range communications stack to exchange data withthe remote server 124.

The remote server 124 is any computing device, such as a server, cloudresources, a smartphone or other mobile device, or other computingdevice, which is remote to the vehicle 102 and that can provide contentor other information to the head unit 104 or the mobile device 114.Although the remote server 124 is illustrated as a single device,embodiments are not so limited. Rather, the remote server 124 may be oneor more computer devices that perform functions.

The mobile device 114 includes any personal device capable ofcommunicating with a head unit 104 (or other computer) of the vehicle102 or remote server 124. The mobile device 114 is configured andstructured to send and receive information, content, or controls to andfrom the head unit 104 (or another computer) or the remote server 124.Examples of the mobile device 114 include laptop computers, smartphones,tablet computers, wearable computing devices, other smart devices, orother handheld computing devices.

In some embodiments, the remote server 124, the head unit 104, and themobile device 114 communicate with each other via a communicationnetwork 122. The communication network 122 is configured to couplevarious computing devices to transmit data from one or more devices toone or more other devices. Communication network 122 may include variouswireless networks using various forms of communication technologies andtopologies, such as cellular networks, mesh networks, or the like.

In various embodiments, the head unit 104 communicates with the mobiledevice 114 via a mobile device communication network 120. The mobiledevice communication network 120 is configured to couple the mobiledevice 114 with the head unit 104 (or another computer) to transmitcontent/data between the mobile device 114 and the head unit 104 (orother computer). The information communicated between devices mayinclude current accessory status or data, vehicle status information,requests to access accessory data, requests to control or modify anaccessory, video data, voice data, image data, text data, or other typesof content, data, or information. The communication network 120 mayinclude a variety of short-range wireless communication networks, suchas personal area networks utilizing classic Bluetooth or Bluetooth LowEnergy protocols, Wi-Fi, or USB or an IR optical network to enablecommunication between the mobile device 114 and the head unit 104. Thecommunication network 120 may also be implemented using Internetconnectivity over wide-area cellular networks (such as 4G and 5Gnetworks).

In various embodiments, the user may interact with the head unit 104 viathe mobile device 114 such that the mobile device 114 acts as a virtualhead unit. In this way, user input provided to the head unit 104 may bereceived from the user via the mobile device 114 and transmitted fromthe mobile device 114 to the head unit 104 for processing by the headunit 104. Conversely, content to be presented to the user may beprovided to the mobile device 114 from the head unit 104 and displayedor otherwise output to the user from the mobile device 114. In someother embodiments, the mobile device 114 may perform the functionalityof head unit 104, or the mobile device 114 may project applications orother processes to the head unit 104.

The mobile device communication network 120, the communication network122, and the accessory communication network 106 may be separatecommunication networks, as illustrated, or some of them may be the samecommunication network or share network components.

Although the mobile device 114 is described in some embodiments as beingconfigured to communicate with the head unit 104, in some cases, themobile device 114 may not provide a destination or route information tothe head unit 104 via mobile device communication network 120 or viacommunication network 122. In these scenarios, as described herein, thehead unit 104 obtains the route or destination information (i.e.,driving direction commands) via audio commands captured from a passengerwithin the vehicle or audio or visual data generated by the mobiledevice 114.

The head unit 104 may also be configured to access or receiveinformation or control use of the one or more accessories 108 a-108 c.The accessories 108 a-108 c can include virtually any vehicle utility ordevice that provides information or data to the user, including datareceived from core components of the vehicle 102 via the vehicle'sController Area Network (CAN bus). Examples of these accessories includegas tank level gauge, speedometer, odometer, wiper activity, externaltemperature, oil pressure gauge, temperature gauge, tire pressure gauge,or other vehicle sensors that provide information to a user of thevehicle. Accessories 108 a-108 c may also include applications executingon the head unit 104 that provide information to the user or havetwo-way interactions with the user. Examples of these accessoriesinclude navigation, audio and radio controls, television or musicapplications, environmental control applications, vehicle performance ormaintenance applications, or other applications.

Accessories 108 a-108 c may also include information from other sources.For example, in some embodiments, the accessories 108 a-108 c mayinclude “derived accessory data” from internal-facing cameras,external-facing cameras, or other input devices. Derived accessory datais information about an environment associated with the vehicle 102 thatcan provide additional details or aspects. For example, images from acamera on the vehicle 102 may be analyzed to determine which user is inthe vehicle 102, which user is operating it, where the driver or otheruser is looking (e.g., whether they are talking to a passenger), whetherthere are pedestrians nearby, whether there are billboards or storesigns next to the road or vehicle 102, etc.

In some embodiments, the accessories 108 a-108 c may also include anyvehicle utility or device that is controllable by a user. Examples ofthese accessories include adjustable seats, sunroof, side mirrors,rear-view mirror, air conditioner, power windows, or other controllablefeatures of the vehicle 102.

It should be noted that some accessories may only output data, someaccessories may only receive signals to manipulate the accessory, andsome accessories may input and output data. For example, a speedometermay only output the current speed of the vehicle; a power window mayonly receive signals to move the window up or down, but not return anyinformation to the head unit; and the navigation system may receivesignals for a destination and return a suggested travel route to thedestination. It should be further noted that these examples arenon-exhaustive, and other types of accessories may also be employed.

The head unit 104 can communicate with the accessories 108 a-108 c viaan accessory communication network 106. The accessory communicationnetwork 106 is configured to couple the accessories 108 a-108 c with thehead unit 104 to transmit content/data between the accessories 108 a-108c and the head unit 104. The information communicated between devicesmay include current accessory status or data, accessory control data,video data, voice data, image data, text data, or other types ofcontent, data, or information. The accessory communication network 106may include or support one or more physical networks; one or morewireless communication networks; one or more application programinterfaces; or one or more other networks capable of transmitting datafrom one accessory to another, from an accessory to the head unit 104,or from the head unit to an accessory; or some combination thereofdepending on the types of accessories communicating with the head unit104. For example, the accessory communication network 106 may include anautomotive body communication network, such as a wired controller areanetwork, short-range wireless communication network, such as personalarea networks utilizing Bluetooth Low Energy protocols, or any othertype of network.

In some other embodiments, the head unit 104 may act as an intermediatedevice that facilitates communication between the mobile device 114 andthe accessories 108 a-108 c. In this way, the head unit 104 can act as agateway between the mobile device 114 and the accessories 108 a-108 c toprovide authentication and authorization for permitting or restrictingthe control of accessories 108 a-108 c and the transfer of accessoryinformation, which can enable a user to access information from orcontrol accessories 108 a-108 c via mobile device 114.

FIGS. 2A-2B show use case examples of various views of an interior of avehicle and a mobile computing device in accordance with embodimentsdescribed herein. In particular, FIG. 2A shows a use case example 200Aof a view of an interior of a vehicle 102 in accordance with embodimentsdescribed herein. Similar to what is described above, the vehicle 102includes a head unit 104, a camera 110 and a microphone 112.

The microphone 112 is positioned and configured to capture audio signalsfrom within an interior of the vehicle 102. As discussed elsewhereherein, the microphone is configured to capture audio signals of apassenger talking, audio output from the mobile device 114, or otheraudibly detectable information as the vehicle 102 is being operated. Theaudio signals are analyzed to identify audible route information, suchas directions to make a turn; look for a particular street, store, orlocation; continue for a particular amount of time or a particulardistance; or other route information. This route information can then beused to select and present content to a user in the vehicle, asdescribed herein.

In this illustration, the microphone 112 is positioned on the frontwindshield above the rearview mirror inside the vehicle 102. In otherembodiments, the microphone 112 may also be positioned elsewhere withinthe vehicle 102. For example, in some embodiments, the microphone 112may be embedded in the head unit 104. In other embodiments, themicrophone 112 may be positioned (not illustrated) in the steering wheelof the vehicle, at some other location on the dashboard of the vehicle102, in a backseat area of the vehicle 102, etc. These example locationsof where the microphone 112 may be positioned are for illustrativepurposes and are not to be considered limiting. Rather, other locationswithin the vehicle 102 may also be utilized to house the microphone 112.

Although microphone 112 is illustrated as a single device, embodimentsare not so limited. Rather, in some embodiments, the vehicle 102 mayinclude a plurality of microphones 112 that are positioned at differentlocations throughout the interior of the vehicle 102. In this way, eachmicrophone may be configured to capture audio signals from a differentarea or passenger within the vehicle 102, or they may be configured tojointly collect the audio signals independent of where they originate.

As an example, the camera 110 is positioned inside the vehicle 102 tocapture images of a display screen of the mobile device 114. In varioussituations, the mobile device 114 may be positioned in a variety ofdifferent locations throughout the interior of the vehicle 102. However,if a user of the mobile device 114 is using the mobile device 114 toprovide maps or route information to the user, then the mobile device114 is probably positioned within the vehicle 102 so that the user cansee a display screen of the mobile device 114. Accordingly, the camera110 is positioned within the vehicle 102 to capture images of a displayscreen of the mobile device 114.

In example 200A, the mobile device 114 is illustrated as beingpositioned on the dashboard of the vehicle 102 such that the driver (notillustrated) can see the display screen of the mobile device 114. Thus,the camera 110 is positioned above the head unit 104 such that it cancapture images of the mobile device 114. In another embodiment, thecamera 110 may be positioned (not illustrated) in the roof of thevehicle 102 to provide a wider viewing angle of the interior of thevehicle. In yet another embodiment, the camera 110 may be positioned(not illustrated) near a back window of the vehicle 102 to captureimages of the mobile device 114 when the mobile device 114 is being heldby a passenger in a back seat of the vehicle 102. These locations of thecamera 110 and mobile device 114 are for illustrative purposes and arenot to be considered limiting; rather, other locations within thevehicle 102 may also be utilized to house the camera 110. Although notillustrated, in some embodiments, the vehicle 102 may include multiplecameras 110 to capture images of the mobile device 114 from differentangles or of different areas within the vehicle 102.

In this example, as the vehicle 102 is being operated, the camera 110 iscapturing images of the mobile device 114. The images from the camera110 are analyzed to determine if visual route information is presentlybeing displayed on the mobile device 114. This visual route informationmay include a map, textual information, graphical information, or otheridentifiers of where the vehicle is expected to travel. This routeinformation can then be used to select and present content to a user inthe vehicle, as described herein. An example image of a mobile device114 captured from the camera 110 is shown in FIG. 2B.

FIG. 2B shows a use case example of a view of a mobile computing devicein accordance with embodiments described herein. In particular, FIG. 2Billustrates an example image 200B of a display screen 218 of a mobiledevice 114, such as one captured by camera 110 in FIG. 1 or 2A. In thisexample, the display screen 218 is displaying a map 210. The map 210includes a position icon 214 and a route 212. The position icon 214illustrates the current location of the mobile device 114 and thus thecurrent location of the vehicle in which the mobile device 114 islocated. And the route 212 represents the projected or estimate path ofthe vehicle.

In various situations, a user of the mobile device 114 may preselect adestination for the vehicle, such as an address, a store, a restaurant,a park, or some other location. The mobile device 114 (or a remoteserver with which the mobile device is communicating) selects a route212 between the current location of the mobile device 114 and theselected destination. The mobile device 114 then augments the map 210 toinclude a graphical representation of the route 212, such as byhighlighting or changing the roads or streets on which the vehicleshould travel to reach the selected destination.

As described herein, the head unit 104 of the vehicle 102 can utilizethis image of the display screen 218 to identify the route 212 withoutdirectly receiving from the mobile device 114 any data related to theroute 212. In various embodiments, as explained above, image recognitiontechniques can identify the map 210 and related items being displayed onthe display screen 218. Such image recognition techniques may identifystreet patterns, street (or city or building) names, points of interest(“POI”), or other displayed information

In some other embodiments, other information 216 that is being displayedby the display screen 218 may be utilized to identify the route 212. Forexample, a turn arrow (such as the illustrated left turn arrow) alongwith a street name (such as “Chestnut 295”) may indicate an upcomingturn and the street on which the turn is to take place. In variousembodiments, the system can compare the current location of the vehicle102 with the recognized street name and the turn arrow to determine theestimated route and where the vehicle is expected to travel. The otherinformation 216 may also include a distance measurement (e.g., 25 m),which can be further utilized by itself or in combination with the otherdisplayed information to identify where the turn is located with respectto the current location of the vehicle. In various embodiments, one ormultiple different pieces of information displayed on the display screen218 can be utilized to identify the route 212. Once the route 212 isidentified, the head unit 104 can present content related to the route212 to the user (e.g., the driver or passenger in the vehicle), asdescribed herein.

The operation of certain aspects of the disclosure will now be describedwith respect to FIGS. 3-5. In at least one of various embodiments,processes 300, 400, and 500 described in conjunction with FIGS. 3-5,respectively, may be implemented by or executed on one or more computingdevices, such as head unit 104. In some embodiments, at least some(including all) of the functionality described herein may be implementedby or executed on mobile device 114, another computer that is part ofthe vehicle 102, or remote server 124.

The processes 300, 400, and 500 are not necessarily limited to thechronological orders shown here and may be executed without adhering toall the steps described here or with steps that are beyond those in thediagrams. To be clear, processes 300, 400, and 500 are merely examplesof flows that may be applicable to or adopt the principles describedherein.

FIG. 3 illustrates a logical flow diagram generally showing oneembodiment of a process 300 for monitoring audible route information toselect and provide content to a user in accordance with embodimentsdescribed herein. Process 300 begins, after a start block, at block 302,where an interior of a vehicle is monitored for audio signals. Invarious embodiments, one or more microphones are employed to captureaudio signals from within an interior of or otherwise near the vehicle.In some embodiments, the audio signals may originate from an electronicspeaker on a mobile device, such as when the mobile device is executinga map application that is outputting audible instructions or when themobile device is in speakerphone mode with a person on the other end ofthe phone call providing directions or driving instructions. The audiosignals may also be broadcast from a speaker that is part of thevehicle, such as if the mobile device is wirelessly coupled to thespeaker. In other embodiments, the audio signals may originate frompassengers within the vehicle, such as when a passenger is giving verbaldriving directions or instructions to the driver.

In yet other embodiments, the audio signals may be collected prior tobeing output via an electronic speaker associated with the head unit.For example, assume a user is using the head unit to provide hands-freespeakerphone capability. In this scenario, the mobile device of the useris utilizing a wireless communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth) to sendaudio signal information of a phone call to the head unit. The head unitcan then output the phone call via the vehicle's speaker system. In thisembodiment, the information received from the mobile device via thewireless communication protocol is analyzed prior to being output viathe speaker system of the vehicle.

Process 300 proceeds to block 304, where received audio signals areanalyzed for route information. In various embodiments, one or morespeech-recognition techniques are applied to the audio signals toconvert them into textual form. In some embodiments, one or more audiofilters may be employed to separate multiple voices being captured inthe audio signals. Non-limiting examples of such filters may includepitch filters (e.g., to distinguish between male and female voices), oraccent detectors (e.g., to distinguish between different dialects orpronunciations), etc. As another example, the system can be configuredto recognize the speech of one or more users to help distinguish betweenspeakers based on differences in the acoustic features of their voices.

Process 300 continues at decision block 306, where a determination ismade whether the audio signals include route information. In someembodiments, natural-language-processing models process the convertedtext to identify keywords or phrases that are associated with differenttypes of route information. Examples of such keywords or phrases mayinclude “turn,” “continue for,” “next to,” “exit,” “your destination isahead,” “follow the signs,” etc. One or more different keywords orphrases may be associated with one or more separate pieces of routeinformation. In various embodiments, these keywords or phrases may becombined with names, times, distances, colors, addresses, or otherdescriptive information that, when combined, represents the routeinformation.

If the audio signals include route information, process 300 flows toblock 308; otherwise, process 300 loops to block 302 to continue tomonitor the interior of the vehicle for audio signals.

At block 308, a current location of the vehicle is determined. Invarious embodiments, a GPS unit or other location-based tracking systemmay be employed to determine the current location of the vehicle.

Process 300 proceeds next to block 310, where an anticipated route ofthe vehicle is determined based on the route information. Theanticipated route may be one or more streets, one or more turns, one ormore GPS coordinates, an address, a physical location, a course or wayof travel between two points, or any other information that defineswhere the vehicle may be travelling.

In various embodiments, one or more pieces of route information, alongwith the current location of the vehicle, are utilized to identify theanticipated route, such as via a mapping database query. For example, ifthe only route information is “turn left at Sunset Avenue,” then theanticipated route may be calculated from a current location of thevehicle along the current road in which the vehicle is travelling (whichmay be determined based on continuous GPS monitoring compared with oneor more mapping features) to an intersection with Sunset Avenue.Conversely, if the route information is “turn right on Jones Street, goabout one kilometer, then turn left at the top of the hill,” then eachseparate piece of route information is combined to determine a longer,more detailed anticipated route.

In other embodiments, the anticipated route may also include anadditional anticipated route beyond the current route information. Thisadditional anticipated route may be for a particular distance to aparticular traffic feature or condition from the route information. Forexample, if the route information is “turn left at Sunset Avenue,” thenthe anticipated route may include one additional kilometer or to a nextintersection after the turn on Sunset Avenue.

In some embodiments, the anticipated route may also be selected from adatabase that stores previous destination or routes traveled by thevehicle, which is described in more detail below in conjunction withFIG. 5. For example, if the vehicle has stored multiple previous routesand each time the vehicle turns right on Jones Street it then turns lefton Sunset Avenue, then the anticipated route can include the turn onSunset Avenue, even if that information was not part of the routeinformation.

In some other embodiments, the current location of the vehicle may notbe used, and thus block 308 may be optional and may not be performed.For example, if the route information is “it's in the same parking lotas Restaurant_XYZ,” then a database can be queried for the address ofRestaurant_XYZ, which can be used as the anticipated route. If, however,the current location of the vehicle is obtained, then the anticipatedroute can include all streets and turns between the current location andRestaurant_XYZ.

Process 300 continues next at block 312, where content is selected basedon the anticipated route. In various embodiments, a database storescontent related to various locations, such as thoroughfares or othertravel paths. The anticipated route is then compared to or queriedagainst the database, and content associated with the anticipated routeis then retrieved. The content that is retrieved may be based on anynumber of predetermined factors, such as historical activity related tothe user or vehicle, associations with establishments maintained by theuser, or data received from the accessories 108 a-108 c. For example, ifthe address of a store or restaurant is on the anticipated route orwithin a selected distance therefrom and the user has visited one ofthem recently, then an advertisement for that store or restaurant can beretrieved.

In another example, a traffic service may provide in real-time thelocations of traffic accidents, heavy traffic, construction, poorlymaintained roads, or other traffic conditions. If the anticipated routeis through an area associated with poor traffic conditions (e.g., anaccident), then the selected content may be data retrieved from thisservice, and an alternative route may be generated.

Process 300 proceeds to block 314, where the content is presented to auser (e.g., the driver or other passenger) of the vehicle. In variousembodiments, the content is provided to the user via a display device,an audio output device, or a haptic interface.

As described herein, the content may be visual content, audio content,tactile content, or some combination thereof. For example, if theselected content is an advertisement, then the head unit may output anaudible description of the restaurant, the hours of operation, or acurrent discount or sale. As another example, if the selected contentincludes an alternative route, then the head unit may display anavigation interface with a graphical image of the alternative routefrom the vehicle's current location.

After block 314, process 300 loops to block 302 to continue to monitorthe interior of the vehicle for additional audio signals to identifyadditional route information. In various embodiments, the head unit maycontinuously monitor the vehicle for audio signals. In otherembodiments, the head unit may monitor the vehicle for audio signals atselected intervals or for a selected period of time, or this feature maybe voice activated. As an example, if the audio signals are analyzed andthe user is listening to music, then the head unit may modify how oftenit monitors the vehicle for audio signals to be at a slower frequency(e.g., once every five minutes, rather than once every five seconds).But if the audio signals include route information, then the monitorrate may be increased or made continuous to capture successive pieces ofroute information. Speaker-recognition models can also be used todistinguish a user's voice from spoken words or singing originating fromthe vehicle's entertainment system.

In some other embodiments, the head unit may utilize previous routeinformation to determine when to next monitor the vehicle for anotherpiece of route information. For example, the previous route informationindicates that the user is to drive straight for 30 minutes, then thehead unit may wait for 25 minutes before it next monitors the vehiclefor audio signals that may contain route information. These examples arefor illustrative purposes, and other embodiments may employ othervalues.

FIG. 4 illustrates a logical flow diagram generally showing oneembodiment of a process 400 for monitoring images of a display screen ofa mobile computing device to identify visual route information to selectand present content to a user in accordance with embodiments describedherein.

Process 400 begins, after a start block, at block 402, where one or moreimages of a display screen of a user's mobile device are captured. Insome embodiments, image-recognition techniques may be performed toidentify or determine if a mobile device display screen is visible inthe captured images.

Process 400 proceeds to block 404, where the captured images areanalyzed for route information. In various embodiments, one or moreimage recognition-techniques are applied to the images to identify maps,highlighted routes, words or phrases, graphics, icons, or otherdirections or driving instructions that are being displayed on thedisplay screen of the mobile device.

Process 400 continues at decision block 406, where a determination ismade whether the images include route information. In some embodiments,any identified words or phrases detected in the images are processed toidentify keywords or phrases that are associated with different types ofroute information, similar to what is described above in conjunctionwith block 306 in FIG. 3 with respect to the audio route information.Similarly, various different graphics, icons, mapping information, etc.,from the images may be processed to determine if the image includesvisual route information. In the case of text, the symbols extractedfrom the images can be mapped against a database of known characters orabstract representations of the characters. In addition,adaptive-recognition techniques, which rely on features or charactersidentified with a high degree of confidence to recognize adjacent,unidentified features or characters, may be employed.

If the images include route information, process 400 flows to block 408;otherwise, process 400 loops to block 402 to continue to captureadditional images of the display screen of the user's mobile device.

At block 408, a current location of the vehicle is determined. Invarious embodiments, block 408 may employ embodiments of block 308 inFIG. 3 to determine the current location of the vehicle.

Process 400 proceeds next to block 410, where an anticipated route ofthe vehicle is determined based on the route information. In variousembodiments, block 410 may implement embodiments of block 310 in FIG. 3to determine the anticipated route. For example, one or more mappingdatabases may be accessed and the route information queried to predictwhere the vehicle is headed. Previous travel history, including for thecurrent trip or other excursions from the past, may also be considered.

Process 400 continues next at block 412, where content is selected basedon the anticipated route. In various embodiments, block 412 mayimplement embodiments of block 312 in FIG. 3 to determine theanticipated route.

Process 400 proceeds to block 414, where the content is provided to auser of the vehicle. In various embodiments, block 414 may implementembodiments of block 314 in FIG. 3 to provide the selected content, todetermine the current location of the vehicle.

After block 414, process 400 loops to block 302 to continue to captureimages of the display screen of the user's mobile device. Similar towhat is described above in conjunction with FIG. 3, process 400 maycapture images at selected time periods or intervals or based on theroute information itself.

FIG. 5 illustrates a logical flow diagram generally showing oneembodiment of a process 500 for selecting a previous route based on acurrent route and an anticipated route to select and provide content toa user in accordance with embodiments described herein.

Process 500 begins, after a start block, at block 502, where a pluralityof previous routes are stored. In various embodiments, the routes may bestored as a plurality of physical location data points, as a pluralityof turns, a series of street names, etc. The previous routes may havebeen selected or programmed by a user, or they may be determined basedon historical travel patterns of the user or vehicle.

Process 500 proceeds to block 504, where a plurality of current locationdata for the vehicle is received. In some embodiments, the plurality ofcurrent location data is obtained by monitoring a GPS device or otherlocation-based device, which may be for a predetermined amount of time,such as from when the vehicle was turned on. As such, the plurality ofcurrent location data may be a set of location data collected over thevehicle's present route or multiple routes over the course of someperiod.

Process 500 continues to block 506, where a current route of the vehicleis generated based on the plurality of current location data. In variousembodiments, the plurality of current location data is compared to oneanother and to a map to generate the current route. As an example, thecurrent location data identifies individual locations where the vehiclehas previously been during the current operation of the vehicle, and thecurrent route indicates a path in which the vehicle has previouslytraveled during its current operation.

Process 500 proceeds next to block 508, where an anticipated route ofthe vehicle is determined. In various embodiments, the anticipated routeis determined from block 308 in FIG. 3 or block 408 in FIG. 4.

Process 500 continues next at block 510, where a previous route from thestored plurality of previous routes is selected based on a previousroute having a first segment that matches the current route of thevehicle and a second segment that matches the anticipated route of thevehicle.

Process 500 then proceeds to block 512, where content is selected basedon the selected previous route. In various embodiments, block 512 mayimplement embodiments of block 312 in FIG. 3 to select content to beprovided to the user based on the previous route, rather than theanticipated route, as described in FIG. 3. As with earlier examples,process 500 may result in content being presented to the user withoutthe user's direct interaction with the system.

FIG. 6 shows a system diagram that describes one implementation ofcomputing systems for implementing embodiments described herein. In thisexample, system 600 includes head unit 104 and one or more othercomputing devices 650.

As described herein, head unit 104 is a computing device that canperform functionality described herein for monitoring audio signals orimages of a user's mobile device for route information to determine ananticipated route that is used to select and provide associated contentto a user. One or more special-purpose computing systems may be used toimplement the head unit 104. Accordingly, various embodiments describedherein may be implemented in software, hardware, firmware, or in somecombination thereof. The head unit 104 includes memory 604, one or moreprocessors 622, display 624, input/output (I/O) interfaces 626, othercomputer-readable media 628, network interface 630, and other components632. The head unit 104 may also be in communication with a camera 110, amicrophone 112, or both. The camera 110 or the microphone 112, or both,may be separate from or external to the head unit 104, as illustrated.In some embodiments, the camera 110, the microphone 112, or somecombination thereof may be embedded in or otherwise incorporated in headunit 104, such as other components 632.

Processor 622 includes one or more processors that execute computerinstructions to perform actions, including at least some embodimentsdescribed herein. In various embodiments, the processor 622 may includeone or more central processing units (CPUs), programmable logic, orother processing circuitry.

Memory 604 may include one or more various types of non-volatile and/orvolatile storage technologies. Examples of memory 604 include flashmemory, hard disk drives, optical drives, solid-state drives, varioustypes of random-access memory (RAM), various types of read-only memory(ROM), other computer-readable storage media (also referred to asprocessor-readable storage media), or other memory technologies, or anycombination thereof. Memory 604 may be utilized to store information,including computer-readable instructions that are utilized by processor622 to perform actions, including at least some embodiments describedherein.

Memory 604 may have stored thereon various modules, such as automobile(or vehicle) monitoring module 608 and content presentation module 610.The automobile monitoring module 608 provides functionality to captureand analyze audio signals or images from the microphone 112 or camera110, respectively, for route information, as described herein. Thecontent presentation module 610 provides functionality to determine ananticipated route from the detected route information. In someembodiments, the content presentation module 610 requests associatedcontent from another computing device, such as other computing devices650, which may include remote server 124 in FIG. 1. In otherembodiments, the content presentation module 610 itself selects theassociated content. Once selected or received, the content presentationmodule 610 provides the content to the user, such as via display 624,other I/O interfaces 626, or other components 632.

Memory 604 may also store other programs 618 and other content 620.Other programs 618 may include operating systems, user applications, orother computer programs. Content 620 may include visual, audio, ortactile content to provide to the user, as described herein.

Display 624 is a display device capable of rendering content to a user.In various embodiments, the content selected by the content presentationmodule 610 is presented to the user via the display 624. The display 624may be a liquid crystal display, light emitting diode, or other type ofdisplay device, and may include a touch sensitive screen capable ofreceiving inputs from a user's hand, stylus, or other object.

I/O interfaces 626 may include interfaces for various other input oroutput devices, such as audio interfaces, other video interfaces,tactile interface devices, USB interfaces, physical buttons, keyboards,or the like. In some embodiments, the I/O interfaces 626 providefunctionality for the head unit 104 to communicate with the camera 110or the microphone 112. In other embodiments, the I/O interfaces 626provide functionality of the head unit 104 to output content via displaydevices, audio output devices, or haptic interface devices that areseparate from the head unit 104, for providing visual, audible, ortactile content, respectively, to the user of the vehicle.

As an example, the camera 110 is a camera positioned and configured tocapture images of a display screen of a user's mobile device 114 (notillustrated). The microphone 112 is a microphone positioned andconfigured to capture audio from within an interior of the vehicle 102(not illustrated).

Other computer-readable media 628 may include other types of stationaryor removable computer-readable media, such as removable flash drives,external hard drives, or the like. Network interfaces 630 are configuredto communicate with other computing devices, such as the other computingdevices 650, via a communication network 634. Network interfaces 630include transmitters and receivers (not illustrated) to send and receivedata as described herein. The communication network 634 may include thecommunication network 122 or the mobile device communication network 120of FIG. 1.

The other computing devices 650 are computing devices that are remotefrom the head unit 104 or part of the vehicle 102 and in someembodiments, can perform functionality described herein for processingincoming data (such as audio or visual data) and deliveringcorresponding content to present to a user of the head unit 104. Asexplained earlier, the content presented may be based on an anticipatedroute. The other computing devices 650 may include remote server 124 ormobile device 114 in FIG. 1 or some other computer that is part of thevehicle 102.

One or more special-purpose computing systems may be used to implementthe other computing devices 650. Accordingly, various embodimentsdescribed herein may be implemented in software, hardware, firmware, orin some combination thereof.

The other computing devices 650 include memory 654, one or moreprocessors 662, display 664, I/O interfaces 666, and network interface670, which may be similar to or incorporate embodiments of memory 604,processor 622, display 664, I/O interfaces 626 and network interface 670of head unit 104, respectively. Thus, processor 662 includes one or moreprocessors that execute computer instructions to perform actions,including at least some embodiments described herein. In variousembodiments, the processor 622 may include one or more centralprocessing units (CPUs), programmable logic, or other processingcircuitry. Memory 654 may include one or more various types ofnon-volatile and/or volatile storage technologies. Memory 654 may beutilized to store information, including computer-readable instructionsthat are utilized by processor 662 to perform actions described herein.Memory 654 may also store programs 656 and content 658. The programs 656may include a content selection module, not illustrated, similar tocontent presentation module 610 that selects and provides content to thehead unit 104 based on information received from the head unit 104.

The various embodiments described above can be combined to providefurther embodiments. These and other changes can be made to theembodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, inthe following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limitthe claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specificationand the claims but should be construed to include all possibleembodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which suchclaims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by thedisclosure.

1. A method, comprising: receiving, by a head unit of a vehicle, audibleroute information captured via a microphone coupled to the vehicle,wherein the audible route information includes at least one directioninstructing a driver of the vehicle to turn the vehicle onto a namedroad, and wherein the audible route information is emanating from asource positioned within the vehicle; determining, by the head unit, anestimated route of the vehicle based on the audible route information;selecting, by the head unit, visual content to display to a user of thevehicle based on the estimated route of the vehicle; and displaying, bythe head unit, the visual content to the user.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein receiving audible route information includes: capturing, via themicrophone, the audible route information from a voice of a personwithin the vehicle.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving theaudible route information includes: receiving audio signals from anelectronic speaker of an electronic device providing audible drivingdirections to the driver of the vehicle.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein receiving audible route information includes: capturing, via themicrophone, the audible route information being output from anelectronic speaker coupled to the vehicle.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein receiving the audible route information includes; capturing, viathe microphone, spoken words that include a direction of travel andstreet information.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving theaudible route information includes; capturing, via the microphone,spoken words that include an instruction to change direction of travelof the vehicle.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the audibleroute information includes; capturing, via a microphone within thevehicle, spoken words that include an instruction for the vehicle toleave a current roadway.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:receiving, by the head unit, audio data via the microphone; analyzing,by the head unit, the received audio data to identify one or more spokenwords; comparing, by the head unit, the one or more identified spokenwords with a plurality of known commands; and in response to a matchbetween the one or more identified spoken words and a known command,identifying, by the head unit, the audible route information as theknown command.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining theestimated route of the vehicle further comprises: receiving, by the headunit, an image of a display screen of a mobile computing device of aperson in the vehicle; analyzing, by the head unit, the received imageto identify route information on the display screen of the mobilecomputing device; determining, by the head unit, visual routeinformation commands from the route information; and updating, by thehead unit, the estimated route based on the visual route information.10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the estimated route ofthe vehicle further comprises: determining, via a GPS unit, a currentlocation of the vehicle; and determining, by the head unit, theestimated route of the vehicle based on the current location of thevehicle and the audible route information.
 11. The method of claim 1,wherein selecting the visual content further comprises: identifying, bythe head unit, a current route of the vehicle; selecting, by the headunit, a previous route from a plurality of previous routes that includesa first segment that matches the current route and a second segment thatmatches the estimated route; and selecting, by the head unit, thecontent based on the selected previous route without input orinteraction from the user.
 12. A system, comprising: a memory configuredto store data and computer instructions; a display interface coupled tothe memory, the display interface configured to present visual contentto a user of a vehicle; a microphone configured to capture audio fromwithin the vehicle; and a processor configured to execute the computerinstructions to: receive, via the microphone, audible route informationthat is emanating from a source within the vehicle; determine ananticipated route of the vehicle based on the audible route information;select visual content based on the anticipated route of the vehicle; anddisplaying, via the display interface, the selected visual content tothe user.
 13. The system of claim 12, further comprising: a cameraconfigured to capture images of a display screen of a mobile computingdevice of the user; and wherein the processor determines the anticipatedroute of the vehicle by being configured to execute the computerinstructions further to: analyze the captured images to identify visualroute information; and determine the anticipated route of the vehiclebased on a combination of the audible route information and the visualroute information.
 14. The system of claim 12, wherein the processorreceives the audible route information emanating from within the vehicleby being configured to execute the computer instructions further to:capture, from a person within the vehicle via the microphone, spokenwords that include a direction of travel and street information.
 15. Thesystem of claim 12, wherein the processor receives the audible routeinformation emanating from within the vehicle by being configured toexecute the computer instructions further to: capture, from a personwithin the vehicle via the microphone, spoken words that include aninstruction to change direction of travel of the vehicle.
 16. The systemof claim 12, wherein the processor receives the audible routeinformation emanating from within the vehicle by being configured toexecute the computer instructions further to: capture, from a personwithin the vehicle via the microphone, spoken words that include aninstruction for the vehicle to leave a current roadway.
 17. The systemof claim 12, wherein the processor receives the audible routeinformation emanating from within the vehicle by being configured toexecute the computer instructions further to: capture, via themicrophone, audio signals emanating from an electronic speaker withinthe vehicle that include spoken words of a direction of travel andstreet information.
 18. The system of claim 12, wherein the processorreceives the audible route information emanating from within the vehicleby being configured to execute the computer instructions further to:capture, via the microphone, audio signals emanating from an electronicspeaker within the vehicle that include spoken words of an instructionto change direction of travel of the vehicle.
 19. The system of claim12, wherein the processor receives the audible route informationemanating from within the vehicle by being configured to execute thecomputer instructions further to: capture, via the microphone, audiosignals emanating from an electronic speaker within the vehicle thatinclude spoken words of an instruction for the vehicle to leave acurrent roadway.
 20. A computing device, comprising: a memory configuredto store computer instructions; a output interface configured to presentcontent to a user of the vehicle; a microphone configured to captureaudio emanating from within the vehicle; and a processor configured toexecute the computer instructions and: capture, via the microphone,audible signals emanating from within the vehicle; analyze the capturedaudible signals to identify audible route information; determine a nextcourse of travel of the vehicle based on the audible route information;select content to present to the user of the vehicle based on the nextcourse of travel of the vehicle; and present, via the output interface,the selected content to the user.